Lighting casings

ABSTRACT

Lighting casings are provided, the individual panels of which are formed from a plurality of interlocking extruded metal sections. The sections are relatively long and narrow, and include a tongue along one longitudinal edge and a groove along the other. A plurality of individual sections form a composite panel, and the panel may be either planar or curved. The casings provided are economical and simple of construction and yet attractive in appearance.

United States Patent Osborne, Jr.

[151 3,636,339 51 Jan. 18,1972

LIGHTING CASINGS Edwin F. Osborne, Jr., Houston, Tex.

Assignee: Esquire, Inc., New York, NY.

Filed: Mar. 26, 1970 Appl. No.: 22,974

Related US. Application Data Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 681,516, Nov. 8, 1967, Pat. No. 3,525,142.

Inventor:

U.S.Cl ...240/3,29/445 Int. Cl ..F21p 5/00 Field of Search ..24o 3; 29 445,1310. 47;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Davis 3 ,213 270 10/ l 965 Appleton et a1 .240/3 3,502,858 3/1970 Habro et al. 240/3 3 ,525 ,142 8/1970 Osborne, Jr. ..29/445 Primary Examiner-Louis J. Capozi Attomey-Arnold, White and Durkee, Tom Arnold, Frank S. Vaden, 111, Robert A. White, Bill Durkee, Louis T. Pirkey and John F Lynch [57] ABSTRACT Lighting casings are provided, the individual panels of which are formed from a plurality of interlocking extruded metal sections. The sections are relatively long and narrow, and include a tongue along one longitudinal edge and a groove along the other. A plurality of individual sections form a composite panel, and the panel may be either planar or curved. The casings provided are economical and simple of construction and yet attractive in appearance.

wiqkn a le gs PATENTEU AN 8 I 2 SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR /l TTORNE YS PATENTEUJAmsm 3,536,339

saw 2 or 2 /ITTORNE YS LIGHTING CASINGS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 681,516, filed Nov. 8, I967, now US. Pat. No. 3,525,142.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Lighting casings of many types are now in common use in many environments. For example, such casings are finding ever increasing use atop poles or standards in parking lots and for lighting commercial and industrial buildings. These casings are of the type which include a large open chamber in which a lamp is placed, and a relatively large opening through which the light from the lamp illuminates the surroundings.

These casings are customarily made in one of two ways, either by die casting or sand casting. Whereas each of these ways of forming such casings is satisfactory in some contexts, neither of them is at all satisfactory in many other contexts of use. For example, casings made by said casting are not generally satisfactory from the aesthetic viewpoint since they are generally quite unattractive in appearance. There is an ever increasing emphasis on beauty in contexts wherein such casings are used, and in most installations appearance is a factor which is extremely important to the purchaser. Consequently, sand castings are unsatisfactory to a large and ever increasing segment of the industry.

Casings made by die casting are also in present use. While these casings are satisfactory from the appearance standpoint, they are very costly because of the extreme expense of tooling up. Therefore, casings made in this manner, too, suffer from drawbacks which render them unacceptable in many important instances.

Further, casings made by die or sand casting are relatively brittle, and casings may be made in accordance with the present invention which will readily withstand blows which would shatter the brittle sand or die castings. And tools for sand and die cast parts can be modified, if at all, only at great cost. Consequently, the manufacturer of these castings is severely limited in the number of alternative casing designs he can offer. By contrast, the present invention provides for an almost infinite flexibility of shape configuration.

The industry has thus long desired casings which are attractive in external appearance and economical and flexible of construction. This invention provides such casings which have many further important advantages; for example, they are of lightweight but great strength, are very easy to assemble and may be readily formed into any desired shape or configuratron.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to lamp housings having plane and curved surfaces constructed in a novel manner to provide benefits to the industry heretofore unavailable.

Lamp housings of various shapes and designs may be provided in accordance with the invention, which includes'housings or casings having a plurality of extruded metal sections of any convenient size, each of the sections having longitudinally along one edge thereof a tongue or groove connection so that the sections are readily interlocked along their entire length.

The interlocked sections form a panel which is shaped in any desired configuration. The casings are comprised of any suitable number of panels, and are superior in appearance to those of the prior art, and yet are of simple and economical construction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this invention and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a lamp casing constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the casing illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a section of material used to construct the casing of FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another section of material used to construct said casing; and,

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of still another section of material used to construct said casing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT Referring now in more detail to the drawings, and first to the lamp casing of FIGS. 1 and 2, it is seen that a casing 10 is provided which comprises generally an upper portion 12 and a base 14. The upper portion l2'defines a relatively large open chamber 16 which is suitable for-receiving a lamp 18. An opening 20 in the portion 12 provides for dispersement of the light from the cavity 16 .to the exterior of the casing, to thereby illuminate the surrounding area.

The base 14 is suitable for the receipt of electrical equipment and ballast material.

The casing 10 is supported on a suitable standard such as the pole 24 by means of a suitable bracket 22, which is secured to the base 14 by any suitable means such as nut and bolt connections.

The upper portion 12 of casing 10 is suitably formed with a plurality of individual panels, namely planar top 26 and similarly shaped bottom 28, and an arcuate side portion 30 which in this embodiment extends throughout I. Each of the panels, top 26, bottom 28 and side 30, is formed from a plurality of individual mating sections. For example, side portion 30 is shown to be comprised of the separate relatively small extruded sections 32, 34 and 36, each of which is generally long and narrow. Similarly, the various panels of base 14 are also comprised of a plurality of individual sections, as illustrated. It is noted that the panels, all of which are comprised of a number of individual sections, may be just as easily either planar or curved-and this feature is very important to the present invention.

The external surfaces of each the upper portion 12 and base 14 are provided with a plurality of parallel alternating ridges 38 and recesses 40. The provision of these alternating ridges and recesses is especially desirable from an appearance standpoint, and, as will be pointed out later, this feature provides further utility as well. As is easily seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the distinct sections such as 32, 34 and 36 are not ascertainable to the casual observer from the exterior of the casing. In other words, the casual observer would not recognize that the various portions of the casing are formed from a plurality of separate sections.

The separate extruded sections such as 32, 34, 36 are illustrated in detail in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. In FIG. 3 is seen a section 50, which has a generally smooth and flat first surface 51, which may be polished and formed to serve as a reflector if desired, and a second surface 52 opposite thereto which is formed with a plurality of parallel elongate spaced-apart ribs 54 rising therefrom. A substantial distance is provided between each of the ribs 54, for example, about five-sixteenths inch between the edge of one rib and the nearest edge of the next, so that a relatively small portion of the surface 52 is occupied by the ribs 54. Though it is not critical to the invention how much space is provided between adjacent ribs, it will be recognized that a savings in material is provided by the illustrated embodiment in comparison with a structure wherein either a larger number of ribs, or thicker ribs, is employed. The ribs 54 extend longitudinally throughout the complete length of the section 50, and not only serve to provide strength to the section 50 but also serve with the spaces between the ribs to provide the attractive alternating ridge and recess design seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, and provide great surface area.

At one edge of the section 50 and extending longitudinally throughout the complete length thereof, is a generally dovetail tongue 55. The. tongue 55 takes the placeof a rib 54 in this position. At the opposite edge of the section 50, and extending longitudinally throughout the complete length thereof, is a terminal rib 57 which includes a generally dovetail groove 56 therein, the groove also extending longitudinally throughout the complete length of the section 50. The groove 56 is identical in cross section to the tongue 55, so that when a plurality of sections such as the section 50 is provided, the sections may be readily fitted together by merely placing adjacent sections each with smooth surface 51 facing in the same direction, and thence sliding the sections longitudinally relative to each other so that the tongue 55 of one section fits into the groove 56 of the other. It will be apparent that mating of tongue and groove in this manner prevents movement of the sections relative to each other, although of course some movement of the tongue relative to the groove will generally be possible.

In order that the tongue and groove connections are not visible on the exterior surface of the finished casings, special end sections are conveniently provided. Such sections are illustrated as the section 60 in FIG. 4, and the section 70 in FIG. 5.

The section 60,like the section 50, has aplurality of elongate ribs 54 including a terminal rib 57 which includes a groove 56 just as illustrated and described in connection with the section 50. At the edge opposite the rib 57 and groove 56, however, in the position wherein the section 50 includes the tongue 55, the section 60 includes an end flange 62 of any convenient configuration. As illustrated in this figure, the flange is approximately half the thickness of one of the ribs 54, and extends to essentially the same height from the surface 52 as do the ribs 54.

The section 70, on the other hand, is like section 50 except at the end thereof containing the terminal rib 57 and groove 56. At this position, the section 70 includes instead of the rib and groove, an end flange 72 which may be identical in configuration to the end flange 62 of section 60.

Given the three sections 50, 60 and 70, it is readily seen that these sections can be combined to form a composite panel which includes at each end of the panel a flange, and wherein no tongue or groove connection is visible at least on casual observation. Of course, it is recognized that any number of intermediate sections 50 may be used. For example, one section 60, three sections 50, and one section 70 might be advantageously employed.

in some contexts of use, it might be satisfactory to allow the tongue and groove connections to remain visible. If this is true, then it will not always be necessary to provide the sections 60 and 70, since the sections 50 only will be sufficient. But as will be readily understood, the arrangement using all three of these sections will be preferredin most embodiments.

The relative dimensions of the sections 50, 60 and 70 may be adjusted to suit individual requirements, and this is a desirable feature in that it adds to the flexibility of the present invention. In width, the section 50 may be on the order of 2% inches from tongue to groove, with the distance between the smooth surface 51 and the tops of ribs 54 being about threeeighths inch. Longer or shorter sections may be provided as desired. Similarly, the sections 60 and 70 might be about 4% inches wide, but any suitable width is satisfactory. It will be preferred, however, to include the same rib configuration for each of the sections 50, 60 and 70, including the spacing between ribs and the heights of the ribs from the smooth surface 51.

Any convenient length of sections may be used. For example, the sections 50, 60, 70 may be several feet in length, if desired. At any rate, it is generally preferred that the length of the sections be great in comparison with the width of the sections.

The sections 50, 60 and 70 are extruded of any suitable metal, although aluminum will be preferred in many contexts of use because of its lightweight, appearance and relative cost. The extruded sections are attractive in appearance, of great strength, and economical of manufacture.

In accordance with the method of manufacture provided by this invention, at least two extruded sections such as described above are provided for each panel of the casing. These sections are joined together by interlocking the elongate tongue 55 of one section into the elongate groove 56 of the adjacent section, to form the composite panel. The panel is then worked and formed in any desired manner, such as rolling, bending and/or cutting, to provide the desired shape and configuration for use in the lighting casing. For example, if the panel is to be the top 26 or bottom 28 of the upper portion of casing 10, then the flat panel would be cut to the desired shape by a cutofl saw or the like. If, on the other hand, the panel is to be formed into the arcuate portion 30 of the casing, the panel is formed into the requisite shape by use of a circular roll or by any other suitable conventional machine shop operation.

The various panels, such as top 26, bottom 28, and arcuate portion 30, are then joined as by welding together along abutting edges, to form the upper portion 12 of the casing '10. The other panels, planar and curved, are similarly joined to form the other desired portions of the casing.

Whereas the discussion has been focused on a plurality of panels, it will be recognized that in some instances it might be possible to form a casing with a single panel, shaped to provide a number of sides.

It is readily seen that casings are provided by this invention which are of lightweight, high strength, are attractive in appearance and yet are economical of construction and easy to assemble. Further, it is seen that the invention provides for great flexibility since extruded sections of any convenient size may be employed, and more importantly, casing panels of any convenient size may be readily made just by fitting together the appropriate number of individual sections. It is further seen that either planar or curved panels may be readily provided since the panels may be worked by any standard technique after assembly from the individual sections.

The relatively large exterior surface area provided by the ridge and recess configuration of the illustrated embodiment is approximately 2 /6 times greater than that of conventional casings. The exterior surface is effective in radiating heat from the casing, and because of the greater surface area of the easings constructed in accordance with this invention, they are much more effective than the conventional casing in radiating heat. Consequently, the casings operate as heatsinks, and it is therefore possible to integrally mount the ballast and other lamp control accessories without danger of exceeding optimum operating temperatures. This is something which has not been feasible with the prior art casings wherein it has generally been necessary to mount the ballast in a separate container in order to keep from shortening ballast lift and adversely affecting operating characteristics.

Top bottom and other such terms are used in this specification for facility and clarity of description only, and should not be construed as limiting.

Whereas the invention has been described in terms of a particularly advantageous embodiment, which at the time of application for patent represents the best mode known to the inventor, it will be obvious to those of skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the structures illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A lamp casing of economical construction presenting an attractive external appearance comprising:

a plurality of panels, each panel being formed from a plurality of individual extruded metal sections,

each section being relatively long and narrow,

at least one of said sections having a tongue connection extending longitudinally throughout its length along one edge thereof, and at least one of said sections having a similarly shaped groove connection extending throughout its length along one edge thereof, so that the sections may be readily interlocked by tongue and groove connection to construct the panel before the panel is formed into its desired shape,

said panels comprise at least one section having both tongue and groove connections, one section having only a tongue connection at one end and including a flange at its opposite end, and one section having only a groove connection at one and and including a flange at its opposite end, so that no tongue or groove connection is visible to the casual observer. 

1. A lamp casing of economical construction presenting an attractive external appearance comprising: a plurality of panels, each panel being formed from a plurality of individual extruded metal sections, each section being relatively long and narrow, at least one of said sections having a tongue connection extending longitudinally throughout its length along one edge thereof, and at least one of said sections having a similarly shaped groove connection extending throughout its length along one edge thereof, so that the sections may be readily interlocked by tongue and groove connection to construct the panel before the panel is formed into its desired shape, all of said sections being substantially identical in width and cross-sectional configuration except for said connections.
 2. A casing constructed in accordance with claim 1, wherein said panels comprise at least one section having both tongue and groove connections, and at least one section having only a tongue or groove connection at one end, and including a flange at its opposite end.
 3. A casing constructed in accordance with claim 1, wherein said panels comprise at least one section having both tongue and groove connections, one section having only a tongue connection at one end and including a flange at its opposite end, and one section having only a groove connection at one and and including a flange at its opposite end, so that no tongue or groove connection is visible to the casual observer. 